Inquest hears obese 10yo was not referred to DoCS before he died at Newcastle, NSW

By Nancy NotzonUpdated
Wed 2 Oct 2013, 8:10 AM AEST

An inquest into the death of an obese child in Newcastle has heard the boy was not referred to the child protection team after being admitted to hospital.

The 10-year-old died three years ago, weighing nearly 80 kilograms and suffering a serious sleep condition.

His death is being investigated in the Newcastle Coroner's Court.

The court heard the child's case was discussed after he was admitted to Newcastle's John Hunter hospital at a child protection clinical review committee but was not formally referred to the hospital's child protection team.

The hospital's director of social services David McNamara told the court he recommended the child see a dietician and if the parents did not follow though with an appointment, he would consider if a report should be made to the Department of Community Services.

The court heard an appointment was never made but there was no procedure to make sure it happened.

The court was also told between March and October 2009, four reports were made to the Department of Community Services but they were all later closed.

Three of the reports were made by a team of paediatricians at the John Hunter Children's Hospital after the boy failed to show up for numerous appointments.

When one of the paediatricians was asked by the Department's legal counsel about whether she reported the case enough, the specialist replied she was unaware the case was closed and she did not believe she had to make repeated concerns about the same thing.

The court heard the child's mother was warned her son's condition was life threatening.

A respiratory paediatrician told the court overfeeding, where a family was educated in the risks, in her opinion could constitute abuse.

However, she said she and several staff at the John Hunter Children's Hospital tried to tell the parents how serious the situation was but failed.

The family's legal counsel quizzed the paediatrician if she ever asked the mother about her other children.

She replied no, but said the mother denied her son was obese and she failed to see how she could do more if they did not understand the situation.